Recently, deaths that are caused by infection of viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a norovirus, and an avian influenza virus have been reported. Currently, the world faces the risk of a “pandemic” in which viral infection spreads throughout the world due to developments in transportation and the mutations of viruses. In addition, severe suffering due to novel influenza or foot-and-mouth disease is also caused, and an urgent countermeasure is required. In order to deal with such a situation, the development of an antiviral agent based on a vaccine is hastened. However, since a vaccine has specificity, an infection that can be prevented by the vaccine is restricted to a specific viral infection.
At hospitals or medical clinics, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is brought into the hospital or the medical clinic by a carrier or an infected person, or a species is mutated from Staphylococcus aureus to MRSA by antibiotic administration. From a patient directly or via a health professional or an environment including a used article such as a medical coat, a pajama, a sheet, and gloves and a facility such as a wall and an air conditioner, another patient and health professional may be immediately infected with such bacteria. Such hospital infection is a serious problem in society. Therefore, there is a strong demand for the development of an antiviral member that can exhibit effective antibacterial and antiviral effects against various bacteria and viruses.
In order to solve the problems, Patent Literature 1 has proposed a method for applying an antibacterial film or an antibacterial substance to the surface of a medical apparatus. Patent Literature 2 has proposed a fiber containing an antiviral substance and a fibrous structure containing an antiviral fiber.